The Storm's Beginning
by Softfire
Summary: My take on how Season 4B will start. This is CS centric and will hopefully be short, multi-chapter. At least that's my goal.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note:

I'm trying a CS centric story this time around. And I'm really hoping this is WAY shorter than my last story. Enjoy and please leave a review :O)

The Storm's Beginning

Chapter 1: An Unexpected Attack

A lazy southern breeze gently blew through Storybrooke, Maine bringing with it uncharacteristically warm temperatures for mid-January. The mild weather, over the past six weeks, had eased the minds of the residents of the small seaside town. Six weeks without incident since the defeat of the last curse and the banishment of the Dark One.

It was a Wednesday evening and Granny's Diner was bustling, every seat and table occupied. Raucous laughter could be heard several storefronts away as the breeze made its way through the community. Seated at their usual corner booth, enjoying their dinner, was the Charming family accompanied by Regina and Killian.

"But seriously, Killian, cowboys or pirates, who would win?" Henry asked between vigorous bites of cheeseburger.

"Come now lad that isn't even a valid question. Pirates would prevail over cowboys any day," the Captain responded easily, a mischievous grin displayed on his lips.

"Henry, you know he's going to pick pirates every time!" David insisted.

"Sorry Gramps I had to ask," the teenager replied with mock indignation. "Okay then, what's the better movie – _The Lone Ranger_ or _Pirates of the Caribbean_? And don't pretend like you didn't like _The Lone Ranger_."

"You did find it pretty entertaining," Emma piped up from the other side of her son.

"That may be, Swan however I did find the brunette from _Pirates of the Caribbean_ to have more gumption," he winked playfully at his girlfriend causing the blonde to blush.

"Well, look at the time!" Regina interjected loudly, smacking the table lightly for emphasis.

"It is getting pretty late. It's probably time to get Neil home," echoed Mary Margaret, a similar rosiness coloring her cheeks as she recalled the last time she heard Hook use that term.

"Yeah Kid, it's a school night and I'm going to take a wild guess that you still have some homework to finish."

"Okay, you got me. I still have one small paper to write for World History. But don't forget I'm staying with Mom tonight."

"I haven't forgotten," Emma ruffled Henry's now shaggy mop of hair.

The group slid out of the oversized booth and said goodbye to Regina and Henry. Killian, throwing his left arm around Emma's waist escorted her out of the diner's front door, followed closely by Snow, David and their infant son.

"Since Henry's at Regina's tonight, did you want to come over and watch Netflix?"

"I would be happy to join, Swan. Could we perhaps watch that one show with the Headless Horseman? I don't believe we finished."

"You liked _Sleepy Hollow_?" Emma asked surprised. "Oh, you just like the actress who plays Katrina," she scoffed.

"I promise you, love she barely holds a candle to your…what's the word this realm uses? Sexiness?"

"Ugh, I can hear you, Hook!" David groaned from behind the couple, using the moniker in mock annoyance.

Killian and the Charmings walked to a small parking lot where both cars were waiting when Emma turned to the pirate, "I need to stop at the station real quick to check on Will Scarlet. He's locked up again for drunken disorderly. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all, love. It's a nice enough night out. I think I might take a walk along the docks."

"Meet at the loft in half an hour?"

"I will be there," he pulled open the door of her yellow bug, giving her a light peck on her cheek. Turning to the royals, he bowed slightly at the waist, "Milady, Dave." With one last wave at Emma he slowly made his way east to the docks.

While he walked along the old wooden planks, Killian couldn't help but mull over the past several weeks in his mind. After his heart had been returned and Rumpelstiltskin was banished the pirate confessed to his love. They had found a quiet moment the following day and without any hesitation the once feared Captain Hook laid everything on the line about all that he had done since their return from the past.

Emma had been furious. She had shouted profanities, thrown a few things, and called him an idiot more than once. In the end, she held him tight and repeated that she couldn't lose him like the others, he had grown to mean more to her than she had realized. Since that moment the reformed pirate was trying to make up for his transgressions. He was truly working on being a more upstanding citizen, only falling into a little gambling and excessive drinking on occasion.

A warm breeze ruffled the captain's raven hair, his name whispered along the gentle updraft, "Killian." Hook paused in his stride and glanced around the empty harbor.

"Swan?" he called out. Hearing nothing else he continued, the water on his left and the cannery flanking his right.

"Killian," the wind called again.

This time he ignored it and kept his pace, an unsettling feeling slowly blossoming in his stomach. Just past the cannery he heard it a third time, louder and more insistent. He stopped again, faced the ocean and gazed out into the dark waters as though entranced.

Before he could fully react, something reached out of the bay and wound its way around his right leg. With the force of a sumo wrestler Killian was yanked toward the frigid water, his head smacking against the wooden dock with a sickening thud. The last thing he sensed before blackness overtook him was wetness and an unending cold.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note:

Thank you so much to everyone that has reviewed, favorited, and alerted this story. I hope you like this next installment. If you have a moment, I'd love a few more reviews. Constructive criticism is always welcome. :o)

Enjoy!

The Storm's Beginning

**Chapter 2:** The Attempt

A pale yellow sun was just starting to peak over the horizon as Leroy drove his conversion van along Route 8 back into town. It was a meandering stretch of black top which hugged the coast, more than likely all the way to the state line, not that any of the residents of Storybrooke would know for sure.

The dwarf enjoyed mornings like this on his way back home after a long night in the mines searching for more crystals and a possible way out of town. As he drove he smacked his hands against the steering wheel, in time to the beat of the song blasting out of the speakers.

"Love bites, love bleeds!" he sang along to his favorite Def Leppard song, voice cracking at the notes which were painfully too high for him. As the van with its 80's themed paint job rounded a turn, he squinted at a human–sized dark object on the beach. He slowed the vehicle and pulled to a stop on the uneven berm.

Cutting the engine he stared harder at the strange mound in the sand. Leroy tugged his phone out of his jacket pocket and dialed David's number. He looked up at the lightening sky and mouthed a 'thank you' when the prince answered.

"David, I'm at mile marker 83, on the north side of town and I'm looking at something on the beach."

David's tired voice grumpily sounded through the flip phone's ear piece, "Leroy, it's barely 7:15."

"Fine, I'll go check it out if you're too busy at the moment," he retorted as he climbed out of the van. "Stay on the line just in case."

"I had no intention of hanging up."

Trudging through the cold sand, the dwarf stopped short a few feet away from the mass. The dark object was definitely a body, the gentle waves of the bay lapping the black jeans and leather boots of a man.

"It's a body!" he shouted frantically into the cellphone. Dropping to his knees he gruffly turned the man over and gasped at not only who it was but also the state of the person; black shirt in tatters, exposed alabaster skin tinged blue, small and large cuts, dark bruising and strange circular markings on his handsome face, neck and torso. "It's Captain Hook!"

"Leroy, are you sure?" David's throat constricted, worry for both the pirate's wellbeing and his daughter's reaction. She had been upset, hurt and a little angry when the pirate didn't show up at the loft the previous night. David clearly recalled Emma's strained voice as she left Hook voicemail after voicemail.

"He's wearing a hook, who else could it be?" the dwarf responded, reaching out to place two fingers tentatively to the captain's throat. He let out a sigh of relief when he felt a pulse but frowned when he noticed how slow and thready it was beneath his fingertips. "You're gonna want to get down here fast and call an ambulance."

Recognizing the genuine fear and concern in his friend's voice, the prince jumped out of bed and rushed around the small bedroom frantically looking for clothes. "I'm on my way! Stay with him. I'm calling an ambulance." Without another word he hung up, finished dressing, grabbed keys from the kitchen island and practically flew out the door, shouting to his wife as he ran.

Closing his cell, the gruff looking man placed it in his back pocket and then stripped off his coat to lay it over the pirate's inert form. Crossing his arms over his chest he waited for his friend and the paramedics to arrive.

He didn't have to wait long. Less than five minutes after hanging up, David' truck, going well over the speed limit, screeched to a halt grill to grill with the van. The prince darted out of the pickup and sprinted onto the beach.

"I need to see," he ordered coming to a halt next to the dwarf. Leroy removed his jacket and heard David's shocked gasp. "Oh my God," he breathed and dropped to his knees next to his unconscious mate. "Hook! Killian!" David called out, lightly shaking a partially exposed shoulder, hoping to rouse the pirate. Receiving no reaction, dread formed in the pit of his stomach. The feeling abated slightly with the wailing of sirens swiftly approaching. "Everything is gonna be okay, Killian. I promise," he whispered.

Once the paramedics arrived, time seemed to slow and speed up simultaneously for Charming. The EMTs barked questions about who the patient was, how long he had been there, and when was he was found, among many others. The prince watched helplessly as they cut away the rest of Killian's shirt, started an IV, and wrapped him in an emergency blanket before placing him on a stretcher and rushing for the waiting ambulance.

David raced back to the truck and nearly tailgated the ambulance the entire way to the hospital. He called his daughter while en route, "Emma, I've got some news about Killian."

"What about him, Dad?" she questioned, annoyance still evident in her voice.

"Leroy found him this morning on the beach. It looks like he was attached by something. He's in really bad shape. I'm following an ambulance to the hospital. You should meet me there," David spoke in short choppy sentences as he was overcome with emotion.

"What?" the Savior nearly shouted into the phone. "No, no, no, no. This can't be happening."

"Emma!" he spoke her name with as much fatherly authority as possible. "Listen to me! I'll be parking in a few minutes. Get here and I'll fill you in on what Leroy told me and what I witnessed. Killian's going to be fine. Whale is already waiting for them to arrive."

"Okay. I'm just going to tell Mary Margaret and then I'll be on my way."

The phone line went dead and David put the cell in his coat pocket.

After informing Mary Margaret about what was going on, Emma raced out of the loft and to her yellow bug. Getting behind the wheel, she paused for a moment and let the news her father had shared settle like silt sinking back to the sea floor. Just as she was about to unwind, tears threatening to make themselves known, the passenger door was thrown open.

"Kid, what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to say good morning before going to," Henry stopped short when he noticed the expression on his mother's face. "Mom, what's wrong?"

Sniffling, she turned to face her son, "It's Killian."

"What happened?"

"I'm not entirely sure but he's being taken to the hospital. Someone attacked him last night."

"I'm coming with you."

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea just yet. I only talked to David for a few minutes and he didn't have many details. It sounds pretty serious, Kid."

"Mom, I want to go. I want to be there for him just like he's always there for me."

Emma regarded her son and couldn't feel more proud. He was quickly growing up and on his way to becoming a man. Sighing, she turned the key in the ignition, "I'll call school on the way there."

David was pacing the length of the mostly empty Emergency Room waiting area when his daughter and grandson jogged through the automatic doors.

"Dad! How is he?" Emma asked breathlessly as she nearly leapt into his arms. He responded by pulling her into a comforting bear hug.

"I don't know, sweetie. Whale was waiting when the ambulance arrived and they've already taken him back," he spoke quietly into her ear. "It hasn't been very long yet. Hopefully we'll hear something soon," He added trying to keep her hopes up. Looking over his daughter's shoulder he acknowledged his grandson trying to lighten the mood, "skipping school today, Henry?"

"My mom is going to pick me up by lunch. I'm supposed to call her once we hear anything."

"Dad, please tell me what happened. I need to know," the blonde insisted, eyes wide and pleading.

The prince sighed before beginning to reiterate what he had told her on their short call. While he filled in some additional details, David watched as his daughter sank into a nearby bench, staring at a far off point in front of her.

"It's gonna be alright, Emma."

"I _knew_ something was wrong when he didn't show up last night. I should've gone to look for him. I should've…" her voice broke and she let the unspoken regret hang in the air.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up," David reassured as he lowered himself into the empty spot next to her. "You couldn't have known," he added, throwing an arm around her shoulder. The prince motioned for Henry to sit on his other side.

The trio sat, huddled together on an uncomfortable plastic bench for another two hours before Dr. Whale exited the double doors leading to hospital interior. He caught their attention and motioned for them to follow and led the somber group to a consultation room not far from the emergency waiting area. Once inside the room, the doctor motioned for the family to sit in the available arm chairs.

"I'll start with how Hook is doing," Whale began.

"His name is Killian," everyone was taken aback by Henry's tone.

"Okay. Apologies, Henry. Killian is currently in stable condition and he's one very lucky man. He has several bruised ribs, various contusions on his arms, legs, and back. In addition, there were many deep lacerations that required stitches and he does have a moderate concussion. Also there are strange circular markings that we are having difficulty identifying. The closest that we can determine them to be are burns but that isn't quite correct," Whale paused to let the information dump he provided sink in for the small group.

All three remained quiet for a few moments, when Emma finally spoke, "When can we see him?"

"You'll be able to see him very soon. I do have some questions I need to ask though."

"Sure," David answered quickly wanting to speed things up.

"I need to know what happened. Where was he and how long was he in the water?"

David nodded, "well, Whale, that's what we've been trying to determine. The last we saw Killian was yesterday evening around 7."

"He was supposed to come to the loft by 7:30 and he never showed up. He told me that he was going to take a walk along the docks before heading over," Emma added softly.

"Well, it appears we won't know more until Killian wakes up and he's able to tell us himself."

"He's not awake?" the teenager asked alarmed.

"That's right, Henry. His body has suffered a trauma which often will result in a patient remaining unconscious for a short time," Whale explained. "He is on an IV, mostly for fluids but for pain medication as well. Also, he does have an oxygen cannula as a precaution. Once he's awake we can review if it can and should be removed."

"May we see him now?" Emma asked again.

"Yes, yes of course. Let me escort you to his room."

It was a short journey to the third floor and Emma steeled herself for Killian's condition when she finally was able to lay eyes on him. Walking through the door she stopped, a strange feeling of déjà vu crept over her. The last time she saw her pirate in a similar situation was after he was hit by the car driven by Greg Mendell. Just as before, he looked small and vulnerable.

Taking a deep breath, Emma walked toward the bed and gently brushed a few wayward strands of hair from his forehead. Henry approached from behind and took her free hand, squeezing it. Feeling the need to touch Killian and let him know that she was with him, Emma gently laid a hand on his bare shoulder.

Without warning his eyes popped open and he took a deep breath as though he were gasping for air. His now open, glassy eyes were frantically scanning the room though not focusing on anything.

"No!" Killian suddenly shouted as he began to thrash around on the bed. "No! I won't let you!"

"Killian, stop! It's me, Emma," the blonde begged.

"No! No, Sea Witch. I won't let you! You cannot take my soul!"


	3. Honesty and Relief

A/N: So sorry for the long delay in posting this. Life got in the way a little bit. I was really hoping to have this completed before the hiatus was over but that's probably not going to happen. However, the next installment will probably only be a short epilogue.

Thanks to all that have read, reviewed, favorited and followed this story. I really appreciate it!

Also, i didn't proofread this, so i'm sorry if there are some errors.

The Storm's Beginning

**Chapter 3:** Honesty and Relief

Only moments had passed since Killian had awoken but to Emma it seemed as though it were hours while she watched his movements become more erratic and he continued shouting, fear and anger evident in his voice. It was painfully obvious to the small family that the pirate wasn't truly with them.

"Nurse, call Code Violet!" Doctor Whale commanded. "And get me 10 MG of Haldol, we need to get him calm now!"

"Sea Witch, you couldn't take my soul before and I won't let you take it now!" pure rage encompassed the captain's facial features as he shouted over the buzz of activity in the room. "I won't let you hurt them or this town!" he continued, blue eyes stormy and unfocused.

David wrapped his arms around his daughter and pulled her further away from the bed. He spoke in hushed tones in her ear, repeating that her pirate was going to be alright.

Two male nurses rushed into the room and assisted the female nurse in restraining Killian. Another nurse entered the room carrying a sterilized needle in plastic packaging and also a small bottle of the drug Whale had verbally ordered. She ripped open the plastic surrounding the needle, plunged the tip into the bottle in her left hand and expertly measured the proper dosage. Satisfied, she handed the prepped needle to Whale. The doctor approached the IV equipment and administered the drug.

Almost instantaneously Killian's movement began to slow and his eyelids began to droop. Barely thirty seconds after the dosage had been given, the pirate was out and the nurses were gently lowering him back onto the pillows.

"Well that was unexpected," Viktor half-heartedly joked to no one in particular.

"Whale!" David admonished. "I think Emma and Henry have been through enough," he added using every ounce of his royal status as he held his daughter protectively.

The doctor had the semblance to appear reticent, "you're absolutely right. It doesn't appear that he has injured himself further. He will be out for several hours due to the sedative. If you need me, I'll be making my rounds." Without another word, he exited the room with the nurses close on his heels.

Emma slowly approached the bed and gently brushed the back of her hand against her pirate's cheek. The sedated man didn't move a muscle at her touch and new tears threatened to erupt from her green eyes. Running her other hand through his raven black hair, she leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "I'm going to help you fight this sea witch. Just come back to me."

David cleared his throat awkwardly, "here let me get you a chair."

"Thanks Dad. Who do you think this Sea Witch is that Killian was yelling at?" she asked quietly as Charming placed an upholstered armchair behind her.

"I don't know. But what I do know is that we won't stop until we find out."

"Gramps is right, Mom," Henry added as he laid an arm across her shoulders.

About an hour and a half later, an abrupt knock on the doorframe caused the small family to jump simultaneously. The trio turned expecting to see a medical professional, maybe even Dr. Whale returning to check on his most interesting patient.

"How is he doing?" Regina asked as she entered the somber room.

"Mom!" Henry exclaimed and moved to embrace his adoptive mother in a tight hug. "Killian woke up but he was like having a fit or something so Dr. Whale gave him drugs to calm him down before he hurt himself more," the teen spoke swiftly barely taking a breath for the long sentence.

Regina hugged her son back and looked him in the eye, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah Mom. I'm just scared that Killian isn't going to wake up."

"What did the pirate say?"

Emma was surprised by her curiosity. She took a closer look at the queen and was shocked to see actual concern for the captain written in her facial features.

"He kept saying something about a sea witch," Henry pressed on before either of his other family members could respond.

"Henry's right," David confirmed. "Hook kept shouting that the Sea Witch wouldn't take his soul and he wanted to protect Emma, this family and the town."

"There are several women he could have been yelling at and none of them are anything to sneeze at. On the bright side, I never brought any of them to Storybrooke for the original curse and I can't imagine that you or Snow had included them in your's."

"But that doesn't mean that they couldn't have found a way here," Emma abruptly stood up from the armchair and spoke up for the first time since the Queen's arrival. "We need to figure out who or what it was that dragged him into the bay and also what they were hoping to accomplish."

"Well, let me try something," Regina loosened her grip on her adoptive son and walked to the pirate's bedside.

"What are you going to do?"

"Calm down Miss Swan. I'm going to see if there is any residual magic still hovering around him. If there is, I may be able to pinpoint its origin or even determine who cast the spell. But don't hold your breath."

Emma did exactly what the Regina told her not to; she held her breath as she watched helplessly from behind her estranged friend. The reformed Evil Queen closed her eyes and hovered her hands over Killian's inert form, a purple glow emanating from her palms.

"Well it appears that magic isn't causing his distress. Honestly, I think whatever did this was smart enough to sever any magical ties between the pirate and themselves," the royal concluded.

"Do you think that's good or bad?" David questioned.

"It's good in the fact that there shouldn't be any lasting effects and any connection is gone."

"I don't know how much more I can take. First his heart being taken and now this," Emma whispered more to herself than anyone else in the room.

"It'll be alright, Mom," Henry slipped his hand into Emma's and squeezed it tightly.

"Henry, I think it's time I get you to school," Regina said softly to her son. "I can bring you back after, if you want to check on the pirate." The boy nodded as he turned to give Emma a quick hug before throwing on his coat.

Clearing his throat, David added, "I should probably head to the station." He kissed his daughter's forehead quietly telling her he'd be back later and to try and rest.

In mere moments the Savior found herself back at her pirate's bedside, sitting in the uncomfortable chair. Her green eyes roamed the from the machines he was hooked up to where the IV lines connected to his good arm to finally the raven colored hair that was out of mussed and out of place.

Emma lost track of time as she allowed her mind to wander as she slowly rubbed the back of Killian's hand. A sudden knock on the doorframe caused her to jump, hand reaching for the gun she always carried at her waist.

"Emma!" a shocked Mary Margaret exclaimed.

"Mom, I'm so sorry. I…I didn't," Emma stuttered.

"It's okay, sweetie. How's he doing?" Snow asked as she pushed Neal's stroller into the hospital room.

Sighing, the blonde plopped back into the chair, "he's been sedated. When he first woke up he was thrashing around and shouting about a sea witch. He wasn't with us, with me."

"Oh honey. Have faith, Killian will be okay."

"How do you know that, Mom? This isn't the Enchanted Forest. And it wasn't that long ago that I almost lost him."

"Didn't we have this conversation before? You need to have faith and believe that things will be okay. If you don't have faith, what do you have?"

"Yeah I guess we did. Maybe one day I'll be as optimistic as you and Dad."

"So, how are _you_ doing?"

Shrugging, Emma glanced back at her pirate, "okay." Before she knew what she was saying words she'd only admitted to herself tumbled out of her mouth, "I just want him to wake up, flash his crooked smile, and give me some ridiculous speech about how he's a survivor."

"I know I haven't always been on Team Hook but I'm not blind. I see how you two complement each other."

"Are we really having this conversation now?"

"I'm just trying to say that I'm sorry for not always being supportive. I know he makes you happy and that's all that really matters to me and your father."

Not looking at her mother, Emma made a non-committal noise in response. Instead she reached out and gently laid her hand over Killian's, trying to will him awake.

"Do you love him?" Snow asked tentatively.

"Maybe…Yeah...I don't know. I do know that I'm afraid of losing him and I'm afraid of not being able to tell him how much I care about him."

"It sounds a lot like love to me."

"Maybe. It's funny how similar we are and how easily we can read each other. It's almost like we're two sides of the same coin. I'm sure he'd say doubloons or something," she added, rolling her eyes.

"Yup, I think my baby girl is in love."

"But Mom we need to figure out who this Sea Witch might be and how she got to Storybrooke."

"Has Killian ever mentioned someone who might fit that description?"

"We haven't discussed his past in too much detail. I mean, there's nearly 300 years of stories to cover. But he's told me a little bit about his brother and why he became a pirate in the first place, we've also talked about his adventures in Neverland, and what really happened between him, Milah and Gold."

Before Mary Margaret could ask her next question, David strolled through the door with a brown take-out bag from Granny's in his hand. "I thought you could use some lunch," he announced, setting the bag on the tray table. For a few moments he busied himself with handing out the food.

"Dad, what have you heard?" Emma asked around a mouthful of a chicken club sandwich.

Taking a swig from a Styrofoam cup filled with Dr. Pepper, David swallowed as he gathered his thoughts. "I headed to the docks and spoke with the Dock Master. He had seen Hook arrive and head down past the cannery. He stated that not long after that he had heard a splash but didn't think much of it since there've been several sightings of harbor seals lately with the unseasonably warm weather. It's not much to go on but at least it's something."

"Well, when he wakes up he'll be able to tell us," Emma stated firmly. Snow beamed at her daughter, glad that she was at least attempting to be positive about the entire situation.

"Let's hope so. Thanks to Leroy almost the entire town knows bits and pieces of what happened last night," the prince's sarcastic tone not lost to either woman.

The trio continued eating in amicable silence. As wrappers were being thrown away and stray fries eaten, the pirate captain finally began to move slightly, the heart monitor beating more swiftly. Emma noticed first and darted to the bed, cupping his right cheek in her hand.

"Killian," she soothed, hoping to coax him awake. Her green eyes stared intently at his closed lids, holding her breath for them to open to expose the brilliant blues that remained hidden. "Killian, come on now. It's time for you to wake up."

Pulling in a deep breath, he blinked his eyes open. While they were still hazy from the medication and confusion written in their depths, Emma was relieved to see they were clearing.

"Oh thank God!" the savior leaned forward and brushed her lips against his stubble. "I've been so worried."

"Love? Where am I? What happened?" his accented voice was hoarse.

"You're in the hospital, Mate," Charming interjected. "You gave everyone quite a scare."

"Not that bloody place again. At least I'm not chained down this time. However if that's something you'd prefer, Swan by all means," he added cheekily, albeit somewhat breathlessly. If he was being honest with himself, he was surprised to see the royals in his infirmary room. The pirate was also rather touched to see them concerned for his well-being.

"Killian, you don't remember what happened?"

"It's all a bit foggy, love," he answered honestly. "I remember dinner and going for a walk. Then it was cold."

"That's probably when you were pulled into the water," David offered.

"The water, Mate?" Killian asked as his eyes began to droop closed. It was apparent to the Charming family that the captain was struggling to stay awake. "Apologies your highnesses, I seem to be tiring much more quickly than I would have thought."

"I don't think all of the sedative is out of his system yet," Snow stated. "We'll let you rest and come back to check on you later."

David reached out and placed a hand on the pirate's shoulder, "We're glad you're okay."

The royal couple nodded to their daughter and quietly left the room. Emma watched as her love continued to unsuccessfully keep his eyes open. Just when she thought he had been pulled back under the drug induced veil of sleep, he grasped her hand.

"Shh, Killian it's okay. I'm not leaving," she reassured quietly. "Go back to sleep, I'll be here when you wake up."

He weakly shifted on the bed, making room for his savior. Without a second thought, Emma climbed onto the bed and curled up next to her pirate.


End file.
